Egg White Meatballs
Korean-style steamed egg white balls, white and tender, served with wood ear mushrooms and bamboo shoots in a clear, savory broth.
Ingredients
Pork tenderloin (washed, sinews removed, minced very finely)
300 g
Rehydrated wood ear mushrooms (sliced)
100 g
Canned bamboo shoots (cut into 4 cm long, 1 cm wide strips, blanched and rinsed)
250 g
Chicken broth (for steaming)
500 ml
Sichuan peppercorns (for steaming)
5 g
Ground white pepper (for seasoning)
2.5 g
Egg whites (source has a discrepancy; 2 + 3 used in steps)
5 g
MSG (for seasoning)
3 g
Dry starch (for egg batter and coating meatballs)
15 g
Chicken broth (50 g actually consumed, for frying)
500 g
Scallions (peeled and washed, cut into segments; some minced)
15 g
Toasted ground sesame
25 g
Cooking wine (for seasoning)
25 g
Instructions
1
Prepare the ingredients
Wash the pork tenderloin, remove the sinews, and chop until roughly 80% fine. Add 2 egg whites, minced scallions, minced ginger, and toasted ground sesame, mix well, then mince further into a very fine paste. Cut the canned bamboo shoots into 4 cm long, 1 cm wide strips, blanch briefly in the open water, then transfer to cold water to cool. Peel the scallions, wash, and cut into segments. Peel the ginger, wash, and cut into slices.
2
Mix the egg batter
Take 3 egg whites, add dry starch, and mix into a thin batter; it should not be too thick.
3
Form the meatballs
Add salt, MSG, and cooking wine to the meat paste, and mix well. Spread a layer of very fine, lump-free dry starch over a large plate. Squeeze the meat into 40 meatballs, roll them in the starch until fully coated, round them, then press into flat rounds with thin edges and a thick center. Place them on a steamer lined with cheesecloth and steam over high heat until cooked through. Remove and let cool.
4
Fry the meatballs
Heat a wok and add chicken oil. When the oil is hot, coat the meatballs with the egg batter and fry (the oil should not be too hot; do not brown them). Remove each meatball as it cooks, drain, and soak in hot water until all are fried.
5
Steam the meatballs
Place the fried meatballs in a large bowl, add wood ear mushroom slices, bamboo shoot strips, scallion segments, Sichuan peppercorns, ginger slices, cooking wine, salt, and chicken broth. Steam until the bamboo shoots are tender. Remove, discard the scallions, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns, and invert onto another large bowl.
6
Pour the broth
Strain the steaming broth, bring to a boil, add the toasted ground sesame, mix well, and pour over the meatballs in the bowl. Serve.
